BUSINESS REVIEW - MARCH 2017

How quickly is this year flying by?! We’re at the end of Q1 already and I’m in the middle of completing my own quarterly business review. A little later than usual because I took the last week of March off to get organised after moving house.

Quarterly business reviews are one of my favourite activities as they’re an opportunity to go back to my business plan, and focus in detail on one particular aspect of it. Business plans are not static documents, contrary to common belief. They should be a living document that changes and improves as we evolve our business.

My business goals and plans for Quarter 1 were relatively modest as I knew that I would be moving house and would have to dedicate a sizeable amount of time to the process. The legal process can be a bit of a rigmarole here in the UK, however good your solicitor. And then there was the time needed for packing up, and getting settled in my new home. So I made sure to factor this in to my Quarter 1 goals and plans, and give myself the time and space I needed.

I’ve just relocated from London to the Sussex coast. This is a huge change, not least because the pace of life is completely different. There’s something about living by the sea that makes me feel like I have more time and space. Time and space for thinking about the brand I want to create. Time and space to enjoy writing. Time and space for interests outside of my business, like tennis. Time and space to go for walks along the beach in the morning before I head to the office to start my working day.

The thing about making a change in one area of your life is that this tends to trigger change in other aspects of your life and business. As you rethink one aspect of your life or business, it’s only natural to re-evaluate others. That’s why I’ve been reflecting on question like:

Whether I want to continue as a solopreneur or build a company?

Do I want to niche?

Which products do I really want to offer?

By answering each of these questions, I shifted the direction of my business in Quarter 1. It will take a few months to affect the destination.

Critical to achieving this shift in direction is my brand. That’s why in Quarter 2, my focus will be on evolving my brand identity. I’m putting together a brief for a branding agency to create a brand identity that I love and which I hope you will love too. This is a detailed and thorough process. Answering questions like:

What’s my big picture vision for my business?

How do my competitors present themselves?

How do I want to be perceived by my target audience?

What visual identity is right for my brand?

But by going through what is a painstaking process, my intention is to create a brand that ‘fits like a glove’ where every element works in harmony with one another.

My other focus for Quarter 2 is to establish a business network here on the Sussex coast, not least because there are some amazing businesses down here. You probably know by now that I’m a huge fan of coffee and cake, and believe that most problems can be solved with the help of a slice of lemon drizzle cake. Brighton and Hove are home to a vibrant digital and creative community. A British take on California! It’s also home to some lovely artisan cafes. Last week, I was busy checking out some of the cafes I’d found on Instagram – The Flour Pot Bakery, Small Batch Coffee and Baked. As well as visiting old favourites like Igigi which has been featured on Red magazine’s Instagram recently.

One of the best ways of integrating yourself into a new business community is to base yourself in a co-working space. I’ve found myself a lovely co-working office, opposite the lighthouse and a short walk to my local tennis club. It’s going to take some getting used to – because I’m used to working in solitude. But they’re a friendly bunch working in complimentary industries so I’m looking forward to the opportunity to explore ways in which we can collaborate going forward.

If you haven’t done so already, I strongly recommend you give yourself the time and space to reflect on your Quarter 1, and ask yourself these questions:

What worked for you? Where did your best results come from?

What didn’t work for you? Why didn’t you get the results you wanted?

What must I do differently if I want to achieve the goals I’ve set for Quarter 2?

Because as Maya Angelou said:

If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got.”

Join The Conversation

Question: What worked for you in Quarter 1? All too often we don’t give ourselves credit for our achievements. So take a moment to tell me what worked for you in the comments box below.

Explore These Additional Resources

Work With Me

I’m Denyse Whillier, a London based business coach and consultant. I guide entrepreneurs from across the globe to achieve profitable, scaleable growth and create businesses that are Built To Succeed™. Built To Succeed™ is my proven success system, developed during my 8 years in the trenches as a CEO, 25 years’ experience at senior leadership and managerial level and training at Cranfield School of Management, the UK’s leading business school. It’s this background that sets me apart and helps my clients to get BIG results.